You Need an RV EMS [Why A Surge Protector Isn’t Enough]

Do you have a Surge Protector for your RV? It might surprise you to hear that an RV Surge Protector isn’t enough to save your RVs Electronics and Appliances. Do you want to learn how to save your RV’s Electronics from a Power Surge and more? First you need to understand why a surge protector isn’t enough in an RV.

 

 

How to Save your RVs Electronics from a Power Surge and MORE

 

Our Personal Situation

We have a TON of VERY EXPENSIVE electrical medical equipment. I’m not talking something as simple as a C-Pap Machine (although Mark does have that). I’m talking Pulse Oximeter, Suction Machine, Cough Assist Machine, Ventilator, and Heater for Ventilator (not to mention that’s all hooked up to our CHILD at one point or another throughout the day). All of THAT on top of 2 A/C units, a washing machine, dryer, microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher. (BTW-NO, we do NOT run ALL of those at the same time, EVER)!!!

We also run all of Aiden’s medical equipment on a UPS Battery Backup inside at all times at home and when in the RV, so we do have backup power and MINOR surge protection with that.

 

 

 

Surge Protector or Electrical Management System

You finally found the perfect RV for you and your family. Now, make sure you protect your RV from harmful, very costly damage to electronics and appliances. Here’s what to do and what NOT to do…

 

 

Surge Protector

A Surge Protector is just that; it will protect your RV during a power surge. If you’re only using an RV Surge Protector may not be as protected as you originally thought, because an RV Surge Protector doesn’t protect your rig from voltage fluctuations (high or low voltage).

A surge protector only will protect during an actual power surge. Although some Surge Protector Units have additional features which include a built-in surge status indicator that note the CONDITION of the surge protector, and a dual line polarity tester that CHECKS the status of the source prior to use, and will identify improper wiring, they do NOT provide wiring protection.

 

Electrical Management System

An Electrical Management System (EMS) will protect your RV from much more than a basic Surge Protector.

 

 

An EMS will protect your Recreational Vehicle against the following:

1. Power Surges
2. Incorrectly wired shore power (bad wiring, yes, it does happen at some campgrounds)
3. Voltage Fluctuations (monitors the changes in high or low voltage)
   • high voltage (usually a line voltage above 132V) (power surge caused (usually) by lightening)
   • low voltage (usually a line voltage below 104V) (too many RV’s using a power source & overloading it)
   • the high or low voltage indicator will then shut down the circuit if it exceeds the high or low limits
4. Reverse Polarity (hot (black) and neutral (white) wires reversed)
5. Open Ground (no ground (green, copper) wire connection)

*Note: When using any EMS and you see any of the above indicators, you need to report them to your Campground Manager.

 

 

The EMS simply protects far beyond the capabilities of a basic RV Surge Protector.

So, am I saying that you only need an EMS if you have TONS of medical equipment and other basic electrical equipment like us? Not at all. You need an EMS if you truly want to protect everything you’ve worked so hard to have in your RV. 

 

30AMP or 50AMP

This one is simple. If you’re not sure if you need a 30AMP or 50AMP, simply look at your RV’s Power Cord. Does it have 3 prongs? You need 30AMP. Does it have 4 prongs? You need 50AMP.

 

Hard-Wired or Plug & Play

Now that you (hopefully) have made the decision to go with an EMS instead of a basic Surge Protector; you now have another decision to make. This decision really is a personal preference based on your situation and needs. Do you go with Hard-Wired or Plug & Play? Here are the pros and cons of each.

 

Hard-Wired (Permanent)

Pros

• Permanently Installed inside the RV
• No need to remember to plug it in
• If you purchase the remote display, the Digital Readout is inside the RV
• Probably won’t be stolen unless your RV is stolen

Cons

• Probably will need to be sold with the RV if you sell it
• Must be installed
• Depending on the model you purchase, you may be without power if something goes wrong (in some models this can be bypassed)
• Must have some Electrical Education/Experience or you will need to have it installed by a professional
• You won’t know there’s a potential electrical problem until you pull your RV into the campsite and connect to a power source
• Difficult to replace (more installation again)

 

 

Plug & Play (Portable)

Pros

• easy to use
• no wiring installation required
• Easily plugs directly into the campground pedestal
• Compact and portable
• You can test the campground pedestal BEFORE pulling in
• Simple to replace

Cons

• You must remember to plug it in each time
• More expensive
• Digital readout is outside the RV (not great in inclement weather)
• You MUST purchase an additional lock to ensure it not be stolen

 

 

The Best EMS Surge Protectors for Your RV

SOWLE RV has done extensive research for what will work best for our situation and personal needs. For us, we chose the Progressive Industries EMS-PT50X Portable (Plug & Play) RV Surge Protector for our Travel Trailer. As a suggestion for a 30AMP, we would choose the Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X Portable (Plug & Play) RV Surge Protector. We also recommend the Cable & Lock for additional protection against theft.

 

               

 

We like that it is designed and engineered in U.S.A. (production is in Mexico). We also like that Progressive Industries Plug and Play have the availability to be locked to the campground electrical pedestal.

We MUST have protection against any kind of surge possible. For us, we prefer the ease of use of the Plug & Play because at no time can wait on a repair person to restore power to our RV because of our sons’ medical needs. Worse case, if something goes wrong with the Plug & Play EMS, we can unplug it and still have power, all be it unprotected for a short time, but power none the less!

 

 

Cost

Whew! The EMS are not cheap! We get it. We, too, are all about trying to save money when we can! However, this is not an item that you want to buy “the cheapest” and “hope it will do”. Save yourself thousands of dollars down the road and spend a bit more now to protect your Electronics and Appliances.

 

Conclusion of You Need an RV EMS [Why A Surge Protector Isn’t Enough]

We hope this article “You Need an RV EMS [Why a Surge Protector isn’t enough” has helped you understand why a simple surge protector is only going to do so much and why it is imperative that you have an RV EMS for protection of all of your electrical equipment!